Overview
Are you dreaming of growing food on the prairies? Have you been dropping hints to your friends to join you? Looking for land, but don’t know how to make it a reality?
This story on how to find farm land on the prairies features urban farmers Miranda Holt & Candace Benson of City Street Farms – a social enterprise that transforms front and back yards in Regina, SK into productive vegetable and flower gardens. The business was founded in the fall of 2020 by Miranda and Candace when they came together to discuss how to make use of the lawns that blanket the city to grow something other than grass. Where they took that question has become an inspiring example of land access on the prairies.
In this 70-minute webinar, you will hear about their land access journey, important choices they had to make, and what they learned along the way. Miranda and Candace share about:
- How City Street Farms refined their idea and made a plan to start
- How they approach the balance between being frugal and investing in the business
- What they’ve learned about creating relationships with owners and selecting their yards
- How they build community and continue to bring people along for the ride
Who is this information for?
This information is applicable to farmers looking to start urban farming businesses and homeowners who are interested in lending their land for urban farming. While this content focuses on the prairies case story, the topics covered are relevant to anyone considering urban farming.
Cost
This content is available for free.
We welcome donations via the registration page. Your donations help Young Agrarians support new and young farmers to grow food and access programs!
The video content is the Urban Alchemy: Turning Lawns Into Food webinar originally presented on February 12, 2024.
About the speakers
Miranda Holt
Miranda has been gardening with her Nonna since she was young and on her own for over 15 years, feeding her family with the bounty from their own front yard. She earned her Permaculture Design Certificate and took an Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Prairies course from Janeen Kozey at Edible Landscapes in 2019 and is currently working towards her Master Gardener Certificate from the University of Saskatchewan.
Candace Benson
Candace grew up around farming and has been involved in agriculture in one way or another for the last 10 years. She earned a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan in 2015 and a Permaculture Design Certificate from Verge Permaculture in 2020.
Website: citystreetfarms.ca
Instagram:@citystreetfarms
Facebook: facebook.com/CityStreetFarms
Explore other self-paced courses about land access on the prairies
Here are other courses you might be interested in:
